Might & Magic, Heroes VI - News

Q&A Reveal on M&M H6

Here is a Q&A that came along the announcement of the game answered by Erwan LeBreton, producer of the game. It already answers important questions.

M&M Heroes V has been launched five years ago. Why did it take so long for M&M Heroes VI ?
[Erwan] There are several reasons for this long gestation period. Some pragmatic, like waiting for the perfect development studio to succeed Nival. However, the main cause lies in a long concept phase. We have discussed at length, and sometimes experimented, several additions to the Heroes formula. Some we kept, some we discarded. Heroes VI was to us a “labour of love”, and when you want to craft a precious gem, you don’t measure time. Consider that it took us 2 years to develop Clash of Heroes, a DS game, when it takes usually 6 to 8 months for most DS games to be developed.

Please reassure me : did you keep the turn-based rythm? Will we still be able to play in Hot Seat?
[Erwan]Heroes VI is still a turn-based game, and hotseat remains the basic multiplayer mode.

Some players thought that Heroes V formula was too much closer from Heroes III. How Heroes VI will be different from previous opuses ?
[Erwan] Heroes VI has several surprises up its sleeve, most linked to the adventure map and the RPG dimension (the heroes’ creation and evolution). We hope the fans will be excited by our mix of familiarity (the core Heroes mechanics are unchanged) and innovation.

Heroes V has been developed by Nival. Why did you change the developer for Heroes VI ?
[Erwan] We explored the possibility of a Nival-made Heroes VI, but it was difficult to find a common vision on the project. Moreover, Nival was developing Allods Online, a huge project that took away most of the team who had worked on Heroes 5.

Why did you choose Black Hole to develop Heroes VI? What did they bring on this project?
[Erwan] They had two great fantasy strategy games at their credit: Armies of Exigo and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. For the latter, they worked very closely with Games Workshop, so they knew what it meant to develop a game within a specific franchise. They also had a solid in-house engine, perfect for Heroes VI. Obviously, they impressed us as experienced, talented and passionate people during our first encounter. Something they more than confirmed during the game’s development! Last, but not least, they are huge fans of the Heroes series

Heroes fan communities are very active and update detailled « wish lists » for Heroes VI. Did Ubisoft take these comments into account? More generally, do you consider fans opinions?
[Erwan] Almost since day 1 we have been in contact with the leaders and most active members of the massive Might & Magic fan community. At first it was a couple of informal emails and encounters, and it gradually evolved into a private forum, in which we discuss the game vision, its mechanics and its art direction. Already, their enlightened feedback has influenced some of our design ideas.

Regarding artistic direction, do you still collaborate with Olivier Ledroit?
[Erwan] He created new concept arts specifically for Heroes VI, and we still refer to the ones he made for Heroes V. His design ideas are mostly reflected in the heroes’ and creature’s armors and weapons. As for the general art style of the game, it was developed conjointly between Black Hole and Ubisoft.

Heroes is known for its soundtrack quality. Will Rob King and Paul Romero still be part of the Heroes VI project?
[Erwan] Music is an important part of the Heroes experience, so we have put even more of a focus on it than ever before, but we will tell you all about it later.

There were strong scenario links between Heroes V, Dark Messiah and Clash of Heroes. What about Heroes VI? Does the game still happen in the same continuity and universe?
[Erwan] Heroes VI is set in Ashan, the world that links all Might & Magic games since Heroes V. But this time we take you roughly 400 years before Queen Isabel’s war and the rise of the Dark Messiah.

How will the Heroes VI campaign look like? Will we have to play all campaigns in a precise order like in Heroes V?
[Erwan] In Heroes VI, each campaign is linked to a specific faction. They are interconnected, but can be played separately, in any order. Completing them all will reveal the “big picture behind the scene” :)

Can we expect new factions and new creatures in Heroes VI?
[Erwan] In terms of factions and creature line-ups, Heroes VI is again a mix of familiarity and innovation. For instance, Haven is still here, with its crossbowmen, its knights of the Holy Light and its Angels, but also with new creatures, unseen in a previous Heroes game.

Will it be PC exclusive?
[Erwan] Heroes 6 will remain a PC-game only. However, we’re considering a Mac version.

Each creature in the world of Ashan lives under the blessing of one of the Dragon Gods.
The mysterious Malassa? The majestic Elrath? The fiery Arkath? The peaceful Sylanna? The graceful Shalassa? The impetuous Ylath? Choose your DRAGON GOD!

To celebrate the arrival of the long awaited Heroes VI standalone: Shades of Darkness, we decided to organize several special events this week! Of course, we will not only talk about Heroes so stay tuned ;)

If there is one thing that really shake our community, it is resources cut. We are from 7 down to 4 and there are serious concerns about degrading the complexity of town build-up plan and quickening the whole process. Why you decided to do that?

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